Van der Vaart: Players are to blame for Bayern Munich defeat

Rafael van der Vaart has stressed his belief that the players on the pitch were to blame for his side's 3-0 defeat on Saturday.

The 29-year-old has dismissed claims that the loss to Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich was because of tactical errors made by coach Thorsten Fink.

"We players are to blame [for the loss], not the tactical approach of the coach. [Bayern] Munich simply were better than us. I was content with the system that the coach came up with," the former Tottenham man was quoted as saying by Bild.

Fink also took the time to comment on the matter and agreed with the assessment of his new signing, while lamenting defensive errors.

"We did not fall behind because of the tactics. The opposite is the case. The [tactical] measures [we took] worked," the 45-year-old stated.

He added, "It was our plan to demoralize the opponent. Before half-time, we did not allow many chances. Conceding the first goal was not due to tactics."

"Before the first goal, we did not defend well. We have a set-piece. Forty-five seconds after, the ball finds our own net. That is disappointing."

Hamburg currently sits ninth in the Bundesliga and is preparing to travel to Freiburg for its next fixture on November 10.

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